Tanadgoma's taboo talk on TikTok
In Georgia, few young people access comprehensive sexuality education in schools. The organsiation Tanadgoma takes the fight and uses social media to reach young people with fact- and pleasure-based information on sexuality. Several of the media clips have over 90,000 views each.
Tanadgoma is RFSU's partner organsiation in Georgia. For years, the organisation has been working to introduce comprehensive sexuality education in Georgian schools. The government has agreed to meet international standards in the matter. Yet hardly anything is happening, probably due to the strong opposition from the church and the politicians.
Tanadgoma's tireless work has continued, but a realisation grew that something new was needed. Something that could have a direct impact and help young people to get information about their bodies and their sexuality. Information they are entitled to.
"It is often said that young people are the future. But really, young people are present now, and they shouldn’t have to wait," says Nino Tsereteli, Head of Operations at Tanadgoma.
Pleasure-focused content on TikTok
And what better way to reach out to young people than through TikTok? Tanadgoma conducted a survey that showed that several organisations already provide sexuality education via social media in Georgia. A problem is not all content is accurate and factbased.
So now Tanadgoma has its own TikTok channel: @TabooTalk_TG. The content is created and posted by a group of young enthusiasts, based on facts developed by Tanadgoma's long-standing expertise. The project manager is Khatuna Khajomia.
"We have a pleasure-focused approach to all content. We highlight things that are taboo and provide information that the young generation needs."
Tiktok teamwork across generations
So now they work as a team, the young people who are experts on TikTok and know what is trending, and Tanadgoma's experienced staff who have worked with sexual counselling for years. To get more insight into each other's worlds, the entire project staff installed and now spend at least 10 minutes a day on TikTok.
"It was completely overwhelming! Everything happens at a very fast pace, it took a while to get used to. But now I find it very exciting, and I often check how many views our posts get."
All things related to sex are taboo
And the views are many. The most popular one, with over 97,000 views, is currently a film that shows how to use a condom. It may seem like basic information, but Katuna says that when everything related to sex is taboo, people don't even talk about condom use.
Other topics covered so far include masturbation – since there are still perceptions that it is wrong or harmful – tips on sex toys, facts about contraception or how to have an abortion.
"We decide together as a team which topics we will cover in the coming month. The young people create content based on the facts they receive from me. I also check that everything is correct before it is posted. We also have a social media manager who knows which expressions and hashtags to use without being suspended or censored."
The next step in the project is a meeting between RFSU, Tanagdoma and the Dutch organisation RNW Media, which is also part of the project. Together they will review the results, draw conclusions and plan how to expand the TikTok initiative from 2024 onwards.
Original text: Ulrika Hammar
Photos: Ulrika Hammar och @tabootalk_tg